


Everybody Loves Fireworks

by Miko



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 16:10:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4269687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miko/pseuds/Miko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's first Fourth of July in the modern era isn't quite what he expected it to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everybody Loves Fireworks

The Fourth of July had always been one of Steve’s favourite holidays as a kid. He’d loved the excitement and enthusiasm, the pennants and banners, the patriotism and pride in being part of such an incredible nation. And of course, the fireworks. Did any kid not love the fireworks?

As he got older the holiday had become less about the excitement, and more about the pride. Steve was a first generation American, and his mother had instilled a deep respect in him for the country that had taken in so many people from around the world and offered them all a chance at a better life. The American Dream was a real, living thing to him, and to many others of his generation.

He still loved the fireworks, though.

This was his first Fourth of July since waking from the ice, and the only word he could come up with to describe it was ‘exhausting’. Everyone and their dog apparently wanted Captain America at their Independence Day parties, and Director Fury had insisted it was a good opportunity for Steve to both get used to how things were now, and earn some goodwill for SHIELD and the Avengers Initiative. After all the damage done to New York in the battle with Loki and his army, they sorely needed that goodwill.

So Steve played the dutiful soldier, went where he was pointed, shook hands and smiled for photos, and generally felt like he’d never left the damned USO stage after all. Now darkness was falling, he was physically and emotionally drained, and he’d finally put his foot down and refused to continue. Maria Hill, who’d been assigned to him as a sort of handler for the day, had taken one look at his stubborn expression and wisely agreed that he’d done enough.

All he wanted was to get back to his place, get _out_ of the damn ‘spangley outfit’ as Stark had dubbed it, and maybe sneak up onto the roof to watch for fireworks. He’d probably have gotten to see some if he’d continued with the parties, but Steve thought he’d rather be alone to experience this particular landmark of his life in the future.

Besides, something told him the roof of Stark Tower would have a pretty good view. Tony had generously offered crash space to all of the Avengers, and although he hated to accept anything that smacked of charity, Steve had reluctantly taken him up on it for the time being. His alternative was to continue subsisting on SHIELD’s charity instead, until the legal system sorted out what exactly to do with him and somebody calculated how much interest the Army owed him on his back pay.

The moment he walked into the suite Tony had provided, Jarvis spoke up. “Good evening, Captain. I trust your day went well?”

“Don’t get me started,” Steve sighed, tugging the helmet and cowl off and propping his shield against a nearby wall. He was still adjusting to the idea of having a talking computer effectively living in his quarters with him - hell, he was still adjusting to the idea of computers at all. He’d found it was less creepy if he simply treated Jarvis like a real, if excruciatingly polite and subservient, person he couldn’t see.

“Mr. Stark has requested that I relay an invitation for you to join him and Ms. Potts for the fireworks tonight,” Jarvis informed him as Steve headed for the bedroom to change. “There is a small gathering on the landing pad, which is ideally situated to watch the display.”

Damn, so much for Steve’s half-formed plans to sneak up there. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with more people. Tony’s idea of a ‘small gathering’ was not the same as Steve’s, he’d discovered. Right now Steve wasn’t sure he’d even want to deal with Tony all by himself.

Oh, well. The window of his bedroom faced the same direction as the landing pad, and wasn’t much lower. He’d probably get a pretty good look at the show from the comfort of his own bed. Assuming he didn’t fall asleep before it started.

“Pass on my regards and regrets, will you Jarvis?” he asked. “I appreciate the invite, but if I have to smile at one more person today, I’m going to punch them instead.”

“Sir, I feel obliged to warn you that Mr. Stark intends to be _insistent_ about the invitation,” Jarvis said, contrite and apologetic.

Steve paused with his hands on the zipper of his jacket. He stared at the wall panel that was the closest thing he had to a view of Jarvis, and sighed. “In other words, he’s going to get you to pester me every five minutes, isn’t he.”

“I’m afraid so, Captain,” Jarvis confirmed. “Though I predict the delay between messages will be two minutes or less.”

Groaning, Steve ran both hands through his hair, grimacing at the feel of the sweat clumping the strands together. “Do I haveta wear the uniform?”

“Casual wear would be more appropriate,” Jarvis assured him. “I believe I can convince Mr. Stark to wait long enough for you to refresh yourself before he becomes emphatic, as well.”

“Thanks, Jarvis,” Steve said, resigning himself to the inevitable. “Tell him I’ll be up in twenty minutes.”

It ended up being over thirty minutes instead, largely because Steve was stalling and trying to think of a good excuse not to go at all. Or at the very least, one that would allow him to poke his head in, do a quick round of the social thing, and then retreat to his own space for the night. At the twenty-five mark Tony started in on the promised pestering, and Steve finally gave in with ill grace.

When the elevator doors opened onto Tony’s private floor, however, what was waiting for him was the _last_ thing Steve had expected.

“Surprise!” half a dozen people shouted at once. Someone popped one of those confetti cones, and Steve winced slightly at the gunshot-like sound.

Staring around him in disbelief, Steve tried to absorb the sight. Hovering in a cluster nearby were not only Tony and Pepper, but Natasha, Clint, Bruce, and Maria Hill. There were red, white, and blue banners and bunting all over the place, some of which had the expected ‘Happy July 4th’ signs, but others declared ‘Happy Birthday Steve’.

“Uh...” Steve said intelligently, attempting to process it all.

“All courtesy of yours truly,” Tony declared with a smug smile. Pepper gave him a Look, and he amended, “With Ms. Potts putting her truly incredible organizational talents to good use, of course. Jarvis helped too, didn’t you J?”

“I am always happy to assist in any way. May I offer my sincere felicitations as well, Captain?” Jarvis replied.

“Uh...” Steve said again, though this time he was able to think of a few things to add. “What are you... a surprise party? For me?”

“I swear, dragging you around all day wasn’t _only_ to keep you away long enough to prepare the party,” Hill told him with a rueful smile. “It just helped with setting things up.”

Amusement was starting to overcome shock and weariness, and Steve’s lips curved in a bemused smile. “I appreciate the effort, you guys, I really do. But you mighta wanted to ask me when my birthday is, first.”

“Oh, come on,” Clint scoffed. “Everyone in the country knows Captain America’s birthday is July fourth.”

The smile spread wider, and Steve shook his head. “Yeah, sure. Captain America’s is. He also started out as a _fictional character_ they made up for me to play, remember? _I_ was born on September eighth.”

“No,” Natasha objected, frowning. “I checked your SHIELD files. I didn’t believe it could really be that much of a coincidence.”

Steve shrugged. “I kinda wondered about that myself,” he admitted. “I’m betting Senator Brandt, the guy who organized the whole USO tour thing, pulled some strings to get my records changed. He probably didn’t want anyone to find out and ruin the image. The show was bringing in some pretty serious cash.”

“So he had all your SSR and military records altered?” Bruce asked, disbelieving. “And your birth certificate?”

“It’s just a theory, but it seems the most likely,” Steve said, and chuckled.

“So all of this was for nothing?” Tony exclaimed, clearly disappointed to have his extravagant efforts go unappreciated. “What a waste.”

“Nah, not for nothing,” Steve said, his voice softening. He looked around at the others, almost all of the people he counted as friends in this strange new world he’d found himself in. “Like I said, I really appreciate the thought.”

“And hey, take down two of the signs and it’s just a Fourth of July party,” Clint pointed out with a grin. “I’m still eating the cake, though.”

“See? There you go,” Steve agreed with him, and returned the grin. “Nothing wrong with a Fourth of July party, it’s my favourite holiday. We’re all good.”

“Unbelievable,” Tony muttered, unappeased by the suggestion.

“All right, well, refreshments are out on the patio, and the fireworks should be starting soon,” Pepper declared, rolling her eyes at Tony.

“C’mon then, unbirthday boy,” Natasha laughed, catching Steve by the arm and tugging him towards the doors outside. “You can still claim the best seat in the house, and first pick of the food.”

As he settled into place on a picnic blanket with a plate full of sugar, salt, and fat balanced on his knee a few minutes later, Steve looked around at his companions and realized he no longer felt tired or irritable. These weren’t just ‘people’, they were his friends, and they’d gone to some lengths to prove it tonight.

A sharp whistle echoing across the rooftops signaled the first of the fireworks going up, and a moment later it exploded in a burst of bright, patriotic colour. Smiling, Steve leaned back on one hand and tipped his head up to watch.

He really did love the Fourth of July. Especially the fireworks.


End file.
